Western Civilization II / Unit 14 WC2 1312 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Going Over the Top: Defense Beats Offense, Mud, Gas
Captions available
The idea
Trenches, machine guns, mines and rifles made defense stronger than attack. No offensive gained significant ground from nineteen fifteen to early seventeen; one British attack of fifteen bought a thousand yards for thirteen thousand lives, the anchor says. Poison gas came in nineteen fifteen from both sides.
In practice
Competence and heroism irrelevant; death arbitrary.
Where people slip
The yards-for-lives figure is the anchor's.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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